Legendary American musician Roy Orbison is set to receive an official biopic, with his estate pledging their cooperation to The Big O: Roy Orbison, which is being scripted by Ray Gideon and Bruce Evans (Stand By Me, Starman).
The film will follow the Texan singer’s life, from his breakthrough single ‘Ooby Dooby’ and subsequent hits such as ‘Crying’, ‘Only the Lonely’ and ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ and the personal tragedies in his life during the 1960s, including the death of his wife Claudette in a motorcycle accident and his two eldest sons in a house fire. Despite such loss, Orbison went on to rebuild both his life and his career, enjoying a resurgence in he 1980s before his death in 1988 aged just 52.
“My dad’s story is a fantastic journey,” said Alex Orbison, who will produce with his brother Roy Orbison Jr.. “He was so inspiring as a person because, after everything he had been through, good and bad, he still had a positive outlook on life, and was kind and wonderful. The movie will mirror a Roy Orbison song: having triumph and tragedy, sometimes losing the girl and sometimes getting the girl, and ending on a high note. Our father’s life story has an undeniably cinematic quality to it. We feel that the telling of it is in extraordinarily capable hands with Bruce and Ray and the overall team that will bring The Big O finally to the screen.”
Originally published October 2, 2016. Updated April 14, 2018.
